ACEs policy and adults: The missing role of sexual abuse

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-537
Author(s):  
Sarah Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adult Survivors ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Traumatised adults have been rather neglected in policy on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in comparison with children. Yet the key message from the original ACE studies was the need to change the way adults with ill health are heard, understood, diagnosed and treated. Within ACEs policy, childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has also had marginal attention. This paper traces how adult survivors of CSA provided the spark for the first and subsequent ACE studies, describing the serious mental and physical health issues this trauma can bring throughout the lifecourse. It raises the possibility that some of the original ten ACEs may be more impactful to health and wellbeing over the lifecourse than others and should receive greater priority in terms of prevention and recovery. A series of questions is asked about how physical and mental health services are responding, and how they may need to be monitored in order to fully integrate the needs of CSA survivors into current Scottish ACEs policy.

scholarly journals ACEs: Evidence, Gaps, Evaluation and Future Priorities

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Theresa Marteau ◽  
Peter Fonagy ◽  
Kathryn Abel
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Poor Outcomes ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

There is strong evidence linking adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and poor outcomes in adulthood both in terms of mental and physical health. Gaps in both the evidence base and research priorities still exist. These include understanding how to identify and assess risk in children who have experienced ACEs, and also the development and, importantly, the evaluation of interventions. Outstanding gaps include whether there are sensitive periods during childhood, the role of resilience/protective factors, the causal relationships, biological mechanisms and relative risk of ACEs for particular negative outcomes. ACEs affect individual children differently and chronic exposure appears to increase the risk of poor outcomes in adulthood, meaning interventions should also be tailored to the individual children, families and communities. Generally, there needs to be better evaluation of interventions and dissemination of this information to ensure that their use is evidence based. More input from affected communities, clinicians, funding bodies and Government departments is required to identify research priorities and ensure gaps in the evidence base are addressed.

Early Adverse Childhood Experiences and Self-Control Development among Youth in Fragile Families

2021 ◽  
pp. 0044118X2199637
Author(s):  
Melissa S. Jones ◽  
Hayley Pierce ◽  
Constance L. Chapple
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Fragile Families ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Using Data

Though considerable research links both a lack of self-control and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a variety of negative health and behavioral outcomes, few studies to date have explored whether ACEs are associated with deficits in self-control. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCW; n = 3,444) and a life course theoretical framework, this study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining the relationships between individual ACEs, cumulative ACEs, timing of ACEs, and durations of early ACEs and self-control development among youth. Our results indicate that as the number of ACEs (by age 5) experienced incrementally increases, the likelihood of reported self-control decreases. Moreover, when it comes to the timing and duration of ACE exposure, ACEs that are high but late, intermittent, or chronically high significantly decrease self-control. Based on our findings, researchers should continue to explore the role of ACEs in youth self-control development.

The early effects of cumulative and individual adverse childhood experiences on child diet: Examining the role of socioeconomic status

2021 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 106447
Author(s):  
Brittany R. Schuler ◽  
Christian Vazquez ◽  
Julia M. Kobulsky ◽  
Krista Schroeder ◽  
Gina L. Tripicchio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Early Effects

scholarly journals Associations between adverse childhood experiences and acquired brain injury, including traumatic brain injuries, among adults: 2014 BRFSS North Carolina

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 514-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie S Guinn ◽  
Katie A Ports ◽  
Derek C Ford ◽  
Matt Breiding ◽  
Melissa T Merrick
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Acquired Brain Injury ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
The Relationship

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can negatively affect lifelong health and opportunity. Acquired brain injury (ABI), which includes traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as other causes of brain injury, is a health condition that affects millions annually. The present study uses data from the 2014 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine the relationship between ACEs and ABI. The study sample included 3454 participants who completed questions on both ABI and ACEs. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between ACEs and ABI as well as ACEs and TBI. Sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, household mental illness and household substance abuse were significantly associated with ABI after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender and employment. Compared with those reporting no ACEs, individuals reporting three ACEs had 2.55 times the odds of having experienced an ABI; individuals reporting four or more ACEs had 3.51 times the odds of having experienced an ABI. Examining TBI separately, those who experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, household mental illness and had incarcerated household members in childhood had greater odds of reported TBI, after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender and income. Respondents reporting three ACEs (AOR=4.16, 95% CI (1.47 to 11.76)) and four or more ACEs (AOR=3.39, 95% CI (1.45 to 7.90)) had significantly greater odds of reporting TBI than respondents with zero ACEs. Prevention of early adversity may reduce the incidence of ABI; however, additional research is required to elucidate the potential pathways from ACEs to ABI, and vice versa.

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